Moderators..Please give me your wisdom..I am litterally going to tear this tank apart

crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
Over the last 3 weeks I have been struggling big time with tons of little bubbles comming into the tank from the return pump. My LPS corals are starting to show some stress and i can not fix it!!!

I run an ETSS skimmer externally plummed its been up for 2-3 months.
These are a list of things I have done to stop it with no evail.
1) Wrapped 50 micron filter pad around the return valve of the return pump.
2) Replaced all return pump plumming(hoses and cleaned fittings)
3) Cleaned sump of all detitus.
4) Turned off skimmer to see if it was the skimmer return...it is not.
5) Added more LR to the BIO area of the sump for more break down. That made it worse!
6) Wrapped pump in carbon
I really am upset about this because I just got some new SPS corals and my water quality is finally really where it needs to be and I feel like its always something. I am ready to tear the sump down again for the 3rd time.

PLEASE HELP ME...I REALLY NEED SOME EXPERIENCE RIGHT NOW.
I have a built in overflow and I feel it is comming from there but not sure. :notsure:
 
abethedog

abethedog

Member
check your connections and plumbing from the pressure side of the pump. It is possible that the fast moving water causes a venturi at a possible leak. Because this is on the pressure side air is drawn in. Check any threaded fittings. Maybe new teflon or silicone. If you do not have check valves you can turn everything off, plug your pump and wait to see if water leaks out somewhere. Just a thought.
 
crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
Got a picture of your sump? Do you have any baffles or sponges or anything in there?
I just checked my camera and it is dead...I will post a pic after it charges. I do have one baffle(small sump..sealife systems 125) and I run 2 large blue sponges in the sump.
The sump is carrying a mag 7 pump for skimmer and a mag 5 pump for the return. Sitted right next to each other. I also have a 2 fist fulls of Cheatomorpha in there powered by a 6500k 35 watt bulb that hangs above on a reverse light cycle. My sump is pretty clean and I clean the alge weekly from the sump. Tank is 9 months old. I also have 2 temp gages in there.
 
T

the_fish

Guest
this might sound stupid, but i will try and help anyway, try feeling your tank up with more water. and iam not saying it in a disrespectful way it might be that.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
If you have modular type hose for your return into your tank it might not be perfectly air tight. I have this problem too with my locline. So far I don't seem to have any real problems because of it though.
 
crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
Originally Posted by abethedog
check your connections and plumbing from the pressure side of the pump. It is possible that the fast moving water causes a venturi at a possible leak. Because this is on the pressure side air is drawn in. Check any threaded fittings. Maybe new teflon or silicone. If you do not have check valves you can turn everything off, plug your pump and wait to see if water leaks out somewhere. Just a thought.
Please explain the "pressure side" does that mean from bottom to top? I have noticed a few leaks in the fittings. I also noticed a little pressure in the sump with some water flowing from the pump. It is escaping from the pump. I did 2 days ago strip the sump down and clean it fittings and all......but this was to stop the bubbles. I thought that the leaking issue because it was after would not have an effect on it...maybe I am wrong :notsure: I have a clear fitting between the ball valve and the connections to the hoses where water is designed to flow up from the pump and PUSH UP A CAP IN THE FITTING...IT LOOKS LIKE IF THE PUMP SHUTS DOWN AND THE WATER STOPS THE CAP WILL FALL AND CLOSE...Question also do I need this????? Can I just go from pump to barb fitting to hose to bulk head?? Less might be better????
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
The thing you described is a check valve. I don't have one, but I know how much my tank back siphons into my sump when the power goes out and I have room for that much water.
 
crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
Originally Posted by wax32
If you have modular type hose for your return into your tank it might not be perfectly air tight. I have this problem too with my locline. So far I don't seem to have any real problems because of it though.
I s that the kind that looks like a vacume cleaner hose??? If yes no..I do have one on the return from the tank. It appears to be tight.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
No, thats flex hose or something. This stuff reminds me of legos or something, it is made up of little parts that fit together to make a bendable posable hose.

Return Hose
 
T

the_fish

Guest
well i guess my idea does not work, it was worth a try anyways.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Water level is controlled by your overflow in a tank with a sump, it can't normally be too low.
 
crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
Originally Posted by the_fish
well i guess my idea does not work, it was worth a try anyways.
Thank you fish...I absolutly did look at that and it was ok. I did drop the water level in the sump to see if I could stop it there. It did not help
 
crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
Originally Posted by wax32
No, thats flex hose or something. This stuff reminds me of legos or something, it is made up of little parts that fit together to make a bendable posable hose.

Return Hose
Yes that is what I have returning to the tank....it is single though. That is considerable....would air come out the sides though...or would it be sucking it in.
Do you think it could be cause my fitting are not completely tight??? Also there is the pressure release from the return pump????
 
crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
Ultimately......will these small bubbles hurt my corals??????? My water is still clear....I hear that they can suffocate corals, but there has to be small micro bubbles in the ocean over turbulant reef flats. Which is where SPS dominates.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
So all the water must pass through these sponges? Basically I am just trying to figure out what the water MUST pass through from the bioball chamber to the return pump. If your water is moving too fast through the sump, basically any air that gets in there from running over the bioballs, etc, will just get caught up and spit out in the return. So I am looking for anything that slows the water down. Some sumps will have several baffles the water must go over and under...or sponges that it must go through...and these often help with allowing the bubbles to dissipate before entering the return pump.
If I recall, when you turned off your skimmer, it did NOT improve the bubbles, correct? But when you added more LR to the "bioball" chamber the bubbles were worse?
 
promisetbg

promisetbg

Active Member
Originally Posted by wax32
No, thats flex hose or something. This stuff reminds me of legos or something, it is made up of little parts that fit together to make a bendable posable hose.

Return Hose
It's called Loc-line.
 
crzyfshygy

crzyfshygy

Member
here are the pics of the sump i got as many angles as I could and will post more in a minute. The pump on the right is the return pump and the left is the skimmer




 
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